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He sought interview with King Yaocomico, and informed him of the object of his coming, to which, says the Relation, "he made but little answer, as is their manner to any new or sudden question, but entertained him and his company that night in his house, and gave him his own bed to lye on- which is a mat laid on boards-and the next day went to show him the country".ª
1 The original draft of this paper, in Baltimore's own handwriting, and the original document, except the Charter, belonging to Mary- land's early history, has only very recently been discovered, and is now in the Maryland Historical Society. It has also been published by Brown, "Makers of America," p. 45.
2 Relation of Maryland, 1634.
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COLONIAL MARYLAND
The Governor was convinced of the superior fitness of the place, and that his entry there could be safely made, and to avoid "every appearance of injustice, and to afford no opportunity for hostility on the part of the Indians, he waived all question of right or superior power in the premises, and agreed to buy their town and territory. The Yaocomicos having previously resolved to move higher up the country, to avoid the Susquehanocks, a more powerful tribe, and their enemy, this was accomplished without difficulty, and for cloth, axes, hatchets, rakes, hoes, and knives, they agreed that the colonists should occupy a part of their town and land, reserv- ing a part for themselves until their corn could be gathered, when the whole should be surrendered. It was further mutu- ally agreed, that the two nations should live peaceably together, and that if any injury was done on either side, the offending party should make reparation.1
Much historical encomium has been lavished upon William Penn, for his famous treaty with the Shackamaxon Indians for the land upon which the city of Philadelphia stands, but neither the annals of Pennsylvania, or of any other American colony, present a more conspicuous example of humanity and justice towards the Aborigines, than is portrayed in the spirit which animated Maryland on that occasion, and, indeed. throughout, in that regard, and it should, with equal justice, adorn the pages of her history.2
The ships dropping anchor in Saint Mary's harbor, the colonists landed on the "right hand side", or southern arm of the harbor (Chancellor's Point), and, walking about a mile around the river bank, came to the place selected for their
1 Relatio Itineris; Relation of Maryland, 1634.
2 Speaking of the religion of the Indians found in and around Saint Mary's, the Relation of 1634 says: "First, they acknowledge one God of Heaven, which they call our God; and cry a thousand shames upon those christians that so lightly offend so good a God. But they give no external honour unto Him, but use all their might to please an Okee (or frantic spirit), for fear of harm from him. They adore, also Wheat and Fire, as two gods, very beneficial unto man's natures. In the Mach- icomoco, or Temple of Patuxent, there was seane by our traders this
1
CHANCELLOR'S POINT.
17
THE LANDING
permanent settlement, and laid out the plan for the first town in Maryland.
Father White's report (the most valuable record of the times, and the only one that attempts to detail this feature of the landing) says: "The left side of the river was the abode of King Yaocomico. We landed on the right hand side," and about a mile from the town.1 This clearly means Saint Mary's harbor, and not the river and identifies with certainty, Chancel- lor's Point as the place of landing. The town of Yaocomico and the place of landing could not have been on opposite sides of the river, for the colonists walked from one place to the other, which could only have been accomplished, if on opposite sides, by going around the head of the river-a journey not of one mile only, but of at least twenty. The two, however, could have been on opposite sides of the harbor-a deep indentation made by the two long headlands, now known as Church Point and Chancellor's Point.
The Indian town, it is conceded, occupied the northern or Church Point arm, which placed it on the left side in sailing up, thus making the southern, or Chancellor's Point arm, the right hand side in entering the harbor ; the southern extremity (Chancellor's Point) of this arm, being also about a mile dis- tant from the town they laid out-Saint Mary's.
The event of landing and unloading the ships was made with as much formality as circumstances would permit, and
ceremony. Upon a day appointed all the Townes mett, and a great fire being made; about it stood the younger sort, and behinde them againe the elder. Then taking a little deer suet, they cast it into the fire, crying, Tabo, Tabo, and lifting their hands to heaven. After this, was brought before them a great Bagg, filled with a longe Tobacco pipe and Poake, which is the word they use for our Tobacco. This was carried about the fire, the youth following, and singing Tabo, Tabo, in very good tune of voice, and comely gesture of body. The round ended, one comes reverently to the Bagge, and opening it, takes out the Pipe, and divides the Poake, from one to one. As every one tooke his draught, hee breath'd his smoke upon the limbs of his own body, as it were to sanctifie them by this ceremony, to the honour and service of their God, whomsoever they meant."
1 Relatio Itineris.
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COLONIAL MARYLAND
was done under military escort, parade under colors and arms, and firing of musketry and cannon.1
Then and there, Governor Calvert, on the 27th of March, 1634, with appropriate ceremonies, proclaimed formal posses- sion of Maryland, and named its first town Saint Mary's. Then and there, says a distinguished historian,? "landed the Pilgrims of Maryland, and then and there were laid the foun- dations of the old city of Saint Mary's and of our present State."
"The landing of the Pilgrims of New England, has been the burden of many a story, and the theme of many an oration. The very rock upon which their feet were first planted, is consecrated in the estimation of their descendants, and its relics are enshrined as objects of holy regard. They were freemen in search of freedom; they found it, and transmitted it to their posterity. It becomes us, therefore, to tread lightly upon their ashes. Yet, while we would avoid all invidious contrasts, and forget the stern spirit of the Puritan, which so often mistook religious intolerance for holy zeal; we can turn with exultation to the Pilgrims of Maryland, as the founders of religious liberty in the new world. They erected the first altar to it on this continent; and the fires first kindled on it ascended to Heaven amid the blessings of the savage."
May the memory of the spirit and character of Mary- land's Pilgrim fathers be sacredly cherished and zealously guarded forever by their descendants.3
1 Bozman, II, p. 30.
2 McMahon, p. 198.
3 The following definitions of Indian terms used in this chapter are taken from Maryland Historical Society Pub. No. 7. Potomac (Boto- meg) a "river full of swarms of small fry-where fishes spawn in shoals." (Kerchival, History, Valley of Virginia, 145 and 149, says : the Potomac above its confluence with the Shenandoah, was called Cohong- oronta.) Piscatowa, (Biskatowe) "one who has his hair plaited up sideways and backwards." Anacosta, (Nanakoita) "one who prepares himself for defence, to resist attack." Yaocomico, (A(i)ago-mo-ago) "he that is floating on water, tossed to and fro." Susquehanocks, (Saskweonag) "those who live in a place where the surf is heard beat- ing (grating) on the shore." Patuxent, (Portuxend) "the place where grows portu (tobacco)."
CHAPTER II
The First Capital of Maryland
SAINT MARY'S CITY,1 the first Capital of Maryland, was situated on the east side of the Saint George's (now Saint Mary's) River, a tributary of the Potomac, about five miles from its mouth, and sixteen miles from Point Lookout, the southern extremity of the western shore of Maryland.
A gentle slope from the eastern hills, then a spacious plateau of singular beauty, elevated about forty feet above the water, and terminating in a bold bluff between two broad expanses of the river, formed the site of the City.
A crescent shaped indentation, made by this bluff2 and a long headland about a mile lower down the river, gave the City a capacious harbor.
The river skirted two sides of the town, afforded depth and security of navigation, and adding beauty and grandeur to its other attractions, made the situation of Saint Mary's one of surpassing loveliness.
A river possessing more enchanting scenery than the Saint Mary's may not easily be found, and at no place along its banks is this displayed to greater advantage than at the site of old Saint Mary's. Looking from thence, either towards the north, where its clear and glittering waters are first seen winding down the blue vista of the distant hills, with its
1 Much of the material in this chapter was incorporated in an ad- dress entitled The First Capital of Maryland, and delivered by the Author on the occasion of the two hundredth anniversary of the re- moval of the Capital of Maryland, from St. Mary's to Annapolis, and which, together with other addresses on that occasion, was published by the State of Maryland in memorial volume entitled "Removal of the State Capital."
2 Church Point.
3 Chancellor's Point.
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COLONIAL MARYLAND
sloping banks, and intercepted by its long, narrow capes and jutting cliffs ; or towards the south, where its waters, growing bolder and deeper, with its high, grassy banks, upland slopes, abrupt declivities, white, winding beach, pebbly shore, and (as seen from the direction of its mouth) its interlocking promontories, giving it the appearance of a series of lakes, rather than a stream of regular width, it presents a picture of rare and exquisite beauty.
Saint Mary's City occupied the site of the Indian village of "Yaocomico," at which place the Maryland colony was in- duced to settle by the glowing description of Captain Henry Fleet, son of a member of the Virginia Company, whose familiarity with the country gave his opinion importance and weight and, who described it as a location, desirable alike for its commanding commercial advantages and its safety of defense, as well as for its temporary improvements and its natural beauty and attractiveness; or, in his own language, "a spot, indeed, so charming in its situation that Europe itself can scarcely show one to surpass it"; and, having first purchased the Indian title thereto (the details of which are given in the preceding chapter), Governor Calvert, on the 27th of March, 1634, assumed formal possession, and named the first town of Maryland-Saint Mary's.1
Under the instructions of Baltimore, containing the details and rules for the government of the colonists, they were directed, after having selected a suitable place for their perma- nent settlement, "to seate a towne", in which they were "to cause streets to be marked out", and to require the buildings to be erected "in line" with such streets, and "neere adjoin- ing one to another"; all the houses to be built in as "decent and uniform a manner" as circumstances permitted, the land in the rear of the houses "to be assigned for gardens and such uses". The first choice of lots was to be for a "fitt place and a competent quantity of ground for a Fort", and "within", or "neere unto" this lot, a site was to be chosen for "a con- venient house, and a church or chappel adjacent", for the
1 Relatio Itineris, p. 35.
2I
THE FIRST CAPITAL
"seate of his Lordship, or his Governor or other Commis- sioners", the two latter buildings to be completed only so far "as is necessary for present use", and not "in every part as fine as afterwards they may be". He also directed that a plat of the town, its situation and surroundings, be made by the Surveyor General, and sent to him by the first opportunity.1
The next official notice with reference to laying out of the town of Saint Mary's, is the following order, from Baltimore to Governor Calvert, dated Warden Castle, England, August 29th, 1636:
"I would have you pass in freehold to every of the first adventures that shall claim or desire it, and to their heirs, ten acres of land within the plats assigned or to be assigned for the town and fields of Saint Mary's, for every person that any of said adventurers transported or brought into Maryland, according to the conditions first published ; and five acres of land to every other adventurer for every other person which he hath or shall transport thither since the time of the first plantation, until the 13th day of August, which shall be in the year of our Lord 1638, and for so doing, this shall be your warrant" .?
In 1684, another grant of land was made to Saint Mary's, to be divided into lots of one acre each, and of sufficient quan- tity to make, with those already there, one hundred lots within the limits of the town.3
Undisturbed for several years, either by domestic factions or external dissensions, Saint Mary's, for a colonial town, grew with considerable rapidity. Brick and other builders' supplies were imported, which, with the home products avail- able for the purpose, afforded, from an early period, abundant building material.
While Virginia, as late as 1638, was making its laws in an ale house,4 and, indeed, in 1716, Jamestown, its first capi- tal. contained only "a church, Court House and four other buildings". Saint Mary's, in a comparatively short time after
1 Instructions, Nov. 13, 1633. In Maryland Historical Society.
2 Kilty, p. 33. 3 Archives (Ass. Pro. 1684) p. 119.
4 Streeter Papers. p. 15.
5 Lodge, p. 51.
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COLONIAL MARYLAND
its settlement, had, besides the home of Lord Baltimore, a church, a pretentious State House, a jail and other public offices, and about thirty houses.1 Soon thereafter, it had sixty houses (which number it never much exceeded),2 pro- tected by two forts, Saint Mary's and Saint Inigoes, each well mounted with the ordnance of that day.
As the place for holding the General Assemblies, the seat of the Provincial Court, and the port where all ships trading with the Province had first to resort, Saint Mary's soon became a place of importance, and, in 1668, it was by letters patent, incorporated and erected into a city, with privileges and immunities above and beyond any other place in the Province. Its officers consisted of a Mayor, Recorder, six Aldermen, and ten Councilmen, and among its special prerog- atives were those of a "Weekly Market" and an "Annual Fair".3
In 1671, Saint Mary's received a new accession to its pre- rogatives, that of sending two representatives to the General Assembly,4 the first being Mr. John Morecroft and the Honor- able Thomas Notley.5
It is to be regretted that no chart of the City of the Cal- verts was made before it had disappeared-except in name and in memory-from the banks of Saint Mary's; but from original surveys and grants, ancient transfers, and re-surveys, together with the many natural boundaries and landmarks still visible, the map shown in the appendix was platted. By this
1 Archives Ass. Pro. 1641 and 1676; Scharf, I, p. 294. Baltimore, in his report in 1677, to the committee of Trade and Plantation in England, stated that the houses at Saint Mary's "excepting my own home and the buildings wherein the Public offices are kept," did not exceed thirty, built at considerable distance from each other, and the most of them after the manner of the smaller farm houses of England.
ª McMahon, p. 250.
3 This, the first municipal charter granted in Maryland, may be found in Liber F. F. p. 645, etc., in Land Office, Annapolis. The Town Ordinances adopted for Saint Mary's City may be seen in Archives, Council Proceedings, 1685, p. 418-422.
4 McMahon, p. 251. 5 Archives (Ass. Pro. 1671) p. 311.
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THE FIRST CAPITAL
data, obtained through laborious and exhaustive research, and applied with painstaking care, the outlines of the City, and the location of its public, as well as its more prominent private lots and buildings, have thus been happily preserved.
The plain upon which the City of Saint Mary's stood, was about a mile square, the limit prescribed by its charter, with a water front made extensive by the many and acute meanderings of the river. This plain was broken by two creeks making into it from the river-Saint John's and Key's (the latter now a small ravine)-and upon the peninsular plateau which they formed, and bounded on the northeast and southwest respectively, and which contained about one hun- dred acres, were erected the public buildings of the Province, and it became the more thickly settled part of the town. On this plateau the houses, which "passed through the various stages of architectural transition", from the log cabin to the substantial frame and brick building, were scattered irregu- larly, the lots being unsymetrically arranged, of irregular size, and large, none of them being less than a quarter of an acre, and many of them large enough for extensive grounds, and gardens sufficiently capacious to supply the needs of the household.
It may be proper to preface a more detailed account of the improvements at Saint Mary's, with the general statement that they consisted of its fort, or palisado, which, though a rude structure compared with those of more modern date, was solidly built and well enough mounted to protect the inhabi- tants against the warfare of that day ; its massive and dignified State House, with its thick walls, tile roof, and paved floors; its stout jail, with its iron-barred windows; its market house, warehouses, and several ordinaries; its unique brick chapel, the victim of the Roman Catholic persecution of later times ; its quaint Protestant church ; its pretentious and fortress-like executive mansion ; which, with its offices, private houses, and shops-of varied architectural design-numbering, it is said, about sixty, and scattered over the elevated, but level plain, studded, we are told, with primeval forest trees, constituted the picturesque little metropolis of early Maryland.
24
COLONIAL MARYLAND
In 1664, an Act was passed under which all houses there- after erected, had to be not less than twenty feet square, and two-and-a-half stories high, with brick chimneys.1
Of the streets which traversed the town, but two have been definitely located, which, with the broad river beach, seem to have formed the principal thoroughfares of the City- the one running northwest and southwest from the State House to Saint Inigoe's Creek, and known as "Middle Street"; the other, northeast and southwest from "Saint Mary's Hills" to the southwestern extremity of the town, and known as "Mattapany Street".2
The first improvement of a public character made at Saint Mary's (excepting the temporary buildings designed for storing the common supplies of provisions for the colonists), was "Saint Mary's Fort". It was erected in 1634, and was located on a small bluff, at the mouth of "Key's Creek", or branch, on the north side of the creek, and immediately be- tween Governor Leonard Calvert's lot and the chapel land.3 This location indicates that it was intended as a place of rendexvous and protection against Indian invasions, rather than as a fortification of the town against naval attacks, it being guarded from incursions of so formidable a character by "Fort Saint Inigoe's", situated a short distance below. The colonists, at the time the fort was built, were in the midst of erecting their houses, but becoming alarmed by the war-like attitude of the Indians (excited by the intrigues of Clayborne), they ceased building, and at once set to work to erect a fort for their better security, which, it is recorded, they completed in about six weeks.'
1 Archives (Ass. Pro. 1664) p. 539.
2 See grant to Mary Throughton, Liber I, p. 67; Robert Carvile, et al., Liber 20, p. 269; Elizabeth Baker to Charles Carroll, Council Book, H. D. No. 2, p. 150.
3 It has been stated that it stood on the bluff on the south side of Key's Creek. This is an error. See patent to Leonard Calvert, Liber 1; p. 117; and deed from Thomas Copley to C. Fenwick, Liber I, p. 121 ; see also Archives (Ass. Pro. 1638) p. 78.
4 Relation, 1634.
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THE FIRST CAPITAL
Governor Leonard Calvert described it as "a pallizado of one hundred and twentie yards square, with fower flankes", mounted with one piece of ordnance and six murderers, placed in parts most convenient-"a fortification sufficient, we think, to defend against any such weake enemies as we have reason to expect here",1 but the Relation, 1634, says, they had "four murderers and seven pieces more to mount forthwith".2
The manner of its construction, the records have left in obscurity. Traditionary history, however, says, it consisted of a large, log block-house and magazine, protected by stock- ades and ramparts of earth. Intrenchments, still visible, indicate that this may be correct as to the earthen parapets, and, since the colonists were engaged, while at Saint Clement's, in "cleaving pales for a palisado", it is not improbable that the stockade was also a feature of it. That the building within was of considerable size, is sustained by the fact, that in it most of the public business of the Province was transacted, prior to 1638, and that the first three sessions of the General Assembly were held there, one of which contained ninety members.
In 1638, an Act was passed for the building of a "town house" at Saint Mary's. Of the style and location of this building (if erected), nothing is known, and it is merely re- ferred to as illustrating the method deemed most available at that time, of getting whatever buildings of a public nature, which the colony needed. The Act provided, that "every housekeeper should be contributory to said building, either in stuff, workmanship, labor, or tobacco, in such manner
1 Maryland Historical Society Fund Pub. No. 35, p. 21.
2 Among the papers recently purchased by the Maryland Historical Society, from Mr. John Roland Phillips, is a letter from Governor Leonard Calvert to his London partner, Sir Richard Lechford, dated, Point Comfort, May 30th, 1634, and which is of special value as show- ing the dimensions of Fort Saint Mary's-a fact hitherto unknown. As described by him, it was "one hundred and twentie yards square, with fower flankes," and was mounted with "one piece of ordnance" and six "murderers." Another paper in the above mentioned collection of much general historic interest, is "A brief relation of the voyage unto Mary- land," supposed to have been written by Father White, and which was
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COLONIAL MARYLAND
.and after such rates proportionally to each man's personal estate" 1
Adjoining the Fort, on the south and east, was "Saint Mary's Chapel yard", while on the north and west was the land of Governor Leonard Calvert.2 The latter, when first laid out, was a large lot, known as "Governor's Field", and embraced a considerable part of the little plateau before men- tioned.3
After the death of Governor Calvert, Margaret Brent, his executrix, assumed to make sale of this property to Governor William Stone, who occupied it as his residence while Gover- nor of the Province; but, in 1659, William Calvert, son and heir of Governor Leonard Calvert, and in England at the time of his father's death, through proceedings in the Provin- cial Court, recovered possession of the house of his father at Saint Mary's.4 Subsequently the lower, or northern, part of
sent as a supplement to the above letter. Both of the documents de- scribe the location of Saint Mary's as being half a mile from the river. The fact that the first Provincial Capital was immediately on the river, the State House lot, indeed, being bounded on two sides by it, leaves no room for doubt, that what was meant was, that the site of the town was that far distant from the place of landing, just as the Relation must have referred to the place of landing, rather than the place of settle- ment and to Saint Mary's Harbor, rather than the river, when it stated that the village of Yaocomico was on one side of the river, and the Maryland settlement on the other-a physical impossibility, since the site of Yaocomico and Saint Mary's were one and the same. The dis- tance from the place of landing to the site of the town, as given in these two documents, is just half of that which it was stated to be in the Relatio Itineris. They were, probably, all rough estimates only, as was the estimate of the acreage of Saint Clement's Island, as stated in Relatio Itineris, for the correction of which see page 12, see also page 20.
1 Archives (Ass. Pro. 1638) p. 78; Bozman, p. 33.
2 Liber I, p. 119-12I.
3 The patent for this land was dated August 13, 1641. It was bounded on the west by the River, on the north by the Bay, on the east by Mill (Saint Johns) Creek to a distance of 47 perches above the Mill, and where Saint Peter's and the Chapel land meet and on the south by a line drawn from thence to the River. Liber I, p. 121.
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